


inexplicable faith in the safety of you

by gabriphales



Series: demon gabe reverse au [1]
Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, Fluff and Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Intoxication, Light Angst, M/M, Sickfic, Unresolved Romantic Tension, also hes a bull demon bc ofc i had to give him a cute animal to be, az is drunk and has moodswings, basically gabe plays crowleys role in this au, gabe is big scary bull demon and crowley is az's boss in this, hes an emotional wreck, just barely its more of a "ur drunk off ur ass so im gonna take care of u" situation, reverse au, they switched places its a lot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:22:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27471916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gabriphales/pseuds/gabriphales
Summary: the demon gabriel, a high-ranking duke of hell, looks after the angel aziraphale
Relationships: Aziraphale/Gabriel (Good Omens)
Series: demon gabe reverse au [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2014738
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	inexplicable faith in the safety of you

**Author's Note:**

> this au is an idea ive had for ages i stg like over a year and just ?? hadnt written anything for yet. anyways its a bit of a mess of little reverse au headcanons stuffed into a barely-there plot, but !! i enjoyed myself writing it

it's so much harder to be cruel when he's with aziraphale. the streetways are cold, crooked, the pavement is uneven and so easy to stumble over when you're five shots of a hard spirit into the night. aziraphale clings onto gabriel's arm the whole way home, giggling like a little child, his gleeful feet a heartbeat away from bursting into an uncoordinated sprint. as it is, he's halfway to skipping anyways. gabriel can't stop him from doing that, not when it makes him so happy, and he looks so _cute_ doing it.

"you'll fall if you go that fast." gabriel scolds, only letting go of aziraphale's lingering handhold once they're at the entrance to his bookshop. aziraphale fuddles with the doorknob, the rustling clicks a symphony only his ears can enjoy, considering it's all awful, discordant noise to gabriel. he lights a thick, heavy cigar, the sort that's more of an accessory for his lips than anything else. aziraphale delights in the flicker of glowing yellow, reaching out to brush his fingertips along each thin stranded flame. he flinches, yelping as he pulls back.

"that's - 's a hot fire." aziraphale mumbles, lost for his usual etiquette.

"yes," gabriel chuckles, humored despite himself. "fires tend to be like that."

"i feel - " aziraphale pauses then, suddenly serious, wracked with a tremor of nausea as he gropes clumsily at his stomach. "feel sick, can we go home?"

gabriel stiffens upwards, standing taller, and opening the door for him. it creaks with the first push, an empty, aching sound, aching for company that's more than just his lonely angel. his angel, who isn't really his, but is so far torn from heaven he'd be more appreciative than angry that a demon would dare lay claim to him. with a hand against aziraphale's back, pressed into the small bank of skin between his shoulder blades, he guides him inside. down to a little kitschy sofa, covered in quilts and pillows just perfect for the occasion. gabriel piles them accordingly, tucking aziraphale under the covers with what felt like _pride._ he can still take care of things, he can still be a caretaker. he knows how to do this, he _remembers._

there's a sad, swollen hiccup from aziraphale, then hands with wiggling fingers that claw out to invite gabriel in. his eyes are wide and pleading, big blue moonstones that latch hooks into his chest, filling it up with warmth.

"be near me," he says, though gabriel can only hear the single truth ringing through that - _'i trust you.'_

"i can't," gabriel tries to sound firm, convinced of his post, standing beside, but never _with_ aziraphale. that's how it's always been, hasn't it? keeping distance, for fear of what he might do, how an ancient, hellish instinct might unfurl if given the chance. still, his voice is weak when he speaks, wavering for all the golden clear thoughts of laying back on that damned sofa, letting aziraphale snuggle up upon his chest. he'd nuzzle like a mother animal nuzzles their young, a soft, pale cheek squishy against gabriel's throat. and it's so good to imagine, so good and warm and _right,_ he doesn't let himself linger in the atmosphere. not until it dies down into a quiet, shameful void when his guilt gets the better of him, and he remembers what he is.

"please," aziraphale whispers, a burst of emotion blooming in his expression, little bouquets of unfallen tears brimming like a threat. he seems sad all of a sudden, out of absolutely _nowhere._ he sniffs, with the sniffs turning to sniffles, and the sniffles to a full on sob. cupping his face, and starting to curl in on himself, weeping like a bride abandoned at the altar.

finally, gabriel falls upon him, grasping tenderly at his swollen red cheeks, and thumbing the wetness gathered at his undereyes. "now, now, don't put on like that, you'll make yourself sick. come here, just - look. look at me, and tell me what's wrong."

and he hadn't even realized he'd started kneeling until he's eye level with aziraphale, face to face, and so unbearably close to those pupils that shine like a glass doll's. pale, watery, with the sheen of tears reflecting light like a pure white opal. his lips quiver, held in a tight little pout. 

"you hate me," he chokes out, mouth twisting into a thin line, desperately shaking, and reminding gabriel of a child that's just had a very stern talking-to.

he softens immensely, hands loosening their hold on aziraphale's face, only lingering because he can't quite admit how much he likes touching the angel there - or anywhere, if he's being honest.

"why do you think that?" gabriel asks.

"because - i-i, i think it because - you don't - you just don't - you're big and strong and handsome, and you've got a really nice car," 

gabriel eyes the volkswagen beetle outside, vintage, and a rich, dark black, it's served its duties well - regardless of the unfortunate fact that, ever since the nineties, it only ever wants to play the same _nine inch nails_ album.

"and why would you like me? i'm all frumpy, i'm annoying, not pretty - and you could have all the pretty girls available in hell, i'm sure." aziraphale says with certainty.

gabriel scoffs, "lord beelzebub isn't even interested in men."

"but still! you're so gorgeous, you just - your eyes are all bright and violet, like a lilac garden - "

"seems to me, given your description, i'd better suit a garden of _violets."_

"don't talk!" aziraphale snaps, though it's awfully like that of a child stomping their foot when they don't get their way, and gabriel can barely resist his snort. "you can talk when i'm done talking."

he hesitates, drinking in gabriel's silence. 

"i just like you, i think, kind of a lot, and i - " a sour, pitiful look crosses his features. "i can't imagine why you'd ever be friends with me outside of the arrangement."

before he can go bursting into tears again, gabriel stops him, leaning inwards so aziraphale can rest against his chest, and curving his head over his shoulder, stroking soft curls at the nape of his neck. 

"it's alright," he promises, crooning like anything _but_ a demon. "you're alright, just breathe, that's it. just breathe for me."

aziraphale's snivels slowly die down, replaced by a sweet, tingling little sound, like cheery carol bells, or church chimes. he's _laughing,_ gabriel realizes. giggling in the faintest, fondest way, having performed a complete emotional three-sixty.

"your ears are tickling me," he finally explains,  
flushing gabriel hot red when he realizes that, indeed, his extra set of animalistic appendages are twitching nervously. essentially flicking aziraphale in the face, who only seems to be getting entertainment value out of it.

"i'm so sorry!" gabriel pulls away, thrusting himself backwards. "i forget they're there half the time, really, i didn't mean to . . . "

but he doesn't finish that train of thought, because aziraphale is leaning forwards, reaching out to stroke the set of wooly bull ears. embarrassingly, they twitch even harder at the attention, excitable for aziraphale's touch. 

"you're so . . . cute." aziraphale speaks like he's trying to decide what to call gabriel, eventually settling on the worst possible word set to describe him in the entire english lexicon. he isn't _cute,_ he's a demon, and he's loud and boorish, stubborn-minded and hot-headed. he's a literal _bull,_ satan's sake somebody help this angel remember what he's messing with here.

aziraphale grasps at his horns, sliding up and down with his soft little palms, and _playing_ with gabriel's most offensive set of demonic peculiarities. "i like these too."

aziraphale sits back, giving gabriel very little time to breathe relief before saying, "do you ever moo?"

for once, gabriel is entirely speechless. "i'm sorry?"

"do you ever moo?" aziraphale repeats, watching with amusement as gabriel leans back, pinching his brow, and shaking his head in disbelief. "it's a question! you're a cow! well, cow-demon-thing, demon-thingy, isn't that right?"

"i am a bull, aziraphale, a _bull."_ gabriel insists.

"practically the same thing, if you really think about it." aziraphale says, looking all too proud of himself, righteous in his steadfast opinion. "maybe you'd like it, if you tried it." 

and just to appease him, gabriel suffocates his shame, ignoring the humiliation of what he's about to do. pursing his lips, he lets out a _barely_ loud enough to be heard - pointedly barely, because he doesn't want aziraphale to miss it, or to wind up doing this a second excruciating time - and only slightly deadpan, " _moo."_

aziraphale's in hysterics, he laughs like he's never laughed before, not in gabriel's company, all rosy-cheeked and red-faced, going at it so hard it almost seems painful. he rubs his wet little eyes clear, looking completely content for the first time tonight. pulling the covers up to his face, he lies down, not bothering to offer gabriel another word before apparently deciding he ought not bear another waking hour. gabriel sighs, but doesn't ruffle his curls until it's obvious he's already asleep. daring a gentle peck to his forehead, and sitting back on his haunches, just staring - _please, god, don't be watching, he knows this looks creepy._

"i do like you," he admits, quiet in the warm candlelight. "more than you can ever know."

and that's how it has to stay, for aziraphale's safety, his secure life. so long as he doesn't get attached, he won't come tumbling down the same fall gabriel endured so many millennia ago. 

when aziraphale nestles up against gabriel's palm, sighing in his sleep, gabriel doesn't dwell on the thought that he might be too far gone already.

**Author's Note:**

> gabe: just trying to vibe  
> az: haha cow go moo


End file.
